Garment hanger



E. A. MARTIN GARMENT HANGER Nov. l5, 1955 Filed April 10, 1953 INVENTORI United States Patent O 2,723,786 GARMENT HANGER Edward A. Martin,1marillo, Tex. Application April 10, 1953, Serial No. Mfmll Claims. (Cl. 223-91) v have certain undesirable limitations in their use which the present invention is designed to overcome. For instance, such hangers, for the most part, have their garment gripping portions integrally secured to the garment hanger by factory methods, so that the entire hanger as a unit, including the garment gripping elements, must be purchased in order to obtain the benets of such a device. Another disadvantage of present devices is in the fact that the garment suspending means interfere with the horizontal cross bar portion of the garment hanger so that it is not possible to lay a second garment over this horizontal cross bar in a smooth, non-wrinkling position. Available garment hangers are further limited in that they are for the most part directed to gripping the garments between the jaw portions of the spring clips suspended from the cross bar of the hanger.

The present invention contemplates not only suspending articles between the springclips but also provides means for engaging the culi portions of trousers, thereby suspending the trousers from the garment hanger by this means, or in the alternative by the spring jaw gripping means above set forth. Furthermore, if desired, a garment such as a skirt or other article of apparel may` be suspended within the jaws of the spring clips whileat the same time a pair of trousers may be suspended on the cu portions by means provided on the spring clips of this invention. At the same time a third garment may be placed on the horizontal cross bar of the hanger since in this invention this cross bar is unobstructed by upstanding portions of garment gripping means found on similar garment hangers.

Of particular significance is the fact that this invention relates to a device which, unlike the present articles available on the market, is attachable to any standard coat hanger by the user of this invention. Y

It is an object of this invention to provide an easy-toinstall garment hanger that converts any standard wire coat hanger into an improved skirt and trouser hanger.

Another object of this `invention is to provide an improved garment hanger adjustable to any width of garment.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved garment hanger for suspending trousers with or without cuffs.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a garment hanger which has means for suspending a garment below the horizontal cross portion of a standard hanger while at the same time leaving the cross portion unobstructed for receiving a second garment thereon.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an inexpensive article of manufacture which may be retailed at a very low price and maybe easily attached to a standard coat hanger without the need for tools or fastening devices of any sort.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals arevemployed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure l is an elevational view of this invention showing it attached to the horizontal cross bar of a standard coat hanger. f

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the invention showing parts in section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the invention with parts 1 in section, and showing how therefrom. ,s

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the letter A designates generally an ordinary coat hanger having a suspension means B (Figure l) of hooklike configuration, and a horizontal cross bar C.

The present invention is adapted to be secured to theA garments may be suspended horizontal cross bar C, and comprises a pair ofspringl clips 11 and a split cylindrical tube 27, as will be described more fully below.

The pair of spring clips 11,4 having bight portions 12 (Figures 2 and 3) and a pair of depending legs 13 and 14, V

are adapted to snap over the horizontal cross bar Cof coat hanger A and slidably these bight portions. y

The lower portions of the legs 13 and 14 are impressed with serrations 16 and 17 so as to provide a good grip on an article of apparel placed therebetween. The extremities 13 and 19 of leg portions 13 and14.are turned outwardly and upwardly to provide means for engaging the cu portions 20 of trousers 21 (Figure 3) so as to suspend the trousers therefrom. The ends 22 and 23 of upstanding portions 18 and 19 are doubled back on the upstanding portions 18 and 19 to provide smooth culi engaging surfaces.

Immediately below the bight 12 of the clip 11, the legs' lower portion at 28 (Figure 2), is made of resilient ma. terial, such as spring steel or plastic, and may be wedged open along this split lower surface so as to encase horizontal rod C and grip spring clips 11 on shoulders 25 and 26. The contact of the edges of the split portion of the tube on these shoulders forces the legs 13 and 14 of spring clip 11 inwardly into resilient contact with each v other. Although it is contemplated that `these spring clips be made of resilient spring material, such as spring steel, or a suitable plastic having similar characteristics, the addition of this split cylindrical tube serving as a spring to force legs 13 and 14 together, increases the tension between these legs and enables them to more rmly grip any article placed between them.

Referring to Figure l, it may be seen that tube 27 encases horizontal rod C along its entire length, as well as providing means for adjustably sliding spring clips 11 on horizontal rod C without disturbing a garment placed over cylindrical tube 27. These spring clips 11 are shown in phantom on the opposite extremities of tube 27 to indicate that these clips may be slid along horizontal cross bar C for adjustment to the width of the article to be suspended therefrom.

grip `this cross bar within Reference is now made to Figure 3. Ways are here shown how various articles of clothing may be suspended from this invention. A pair of culess trousers or a skirt may be suspended between the serrated portions 16 and 17 of spring clip 11, and in the alternative, if the trousers have cuffs, they may be secured to upstanding portions 18 and 19 instead of being gripped between these serrated portions. It is conceivable, of course, that the user may wish to suspend some small article between serrated portions 16 and 17 while lat the same time hanging a pair of trousers having cuffs from upstanding portions 18 and 19; With these two garments 21 and 29' (Figure 3) suspended from spring clips 11 it is still possible to lay a third garment 30 over the tube-encased horizontal cross bar C of the hanger 10.

If desirable, the invention may be transferred from one hanger to another by spreading open the split portion 28 of the cylindrical tube 27 and removing this tube from encasement of horizontal cross bar C. When tube 27 has been so removed, it is then possible to spread the legs 13 and 14 of clip 11 apart whereupon these clips may be easily slipped off of horizontal cross bar C. When the invention has been so removed, which may be very easily done without benefit of special tools or attachments, the clips may then be placed over the horizontal cross bar of another hanger and this cross bar accordingly encased with the tube which will then grip the spring clips so as to provide garment gripping compression to articles of apparel placed between the legs of the clips.

Thus it may be seen that this invention is an easy to install attachment which converts any standard wire coat hanger in a novel manner into a garment hanger having greater utility and being constructed of simpler, less expensive parts than related hangers now in use.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture for releasably mounting on the horizontal cross bar of a standard coat hanger cornprising: a pair of spring clips having bight portions for releasable gripping engagement with the horizontal cross bar of a standard coat hanger, pairs of legs depending from said bight portions respectively, and being serrated to grip a garment placed therebetween; the free ends of said legs being turned outwardly and upwardly to receive the cui portions of trousers suspended therefrom; a tubular spring comprising a cylindrical tube longitudinally split to releasably encase the horizontal cross bar of a coat hanger and the bight portions of said spring clips, and to grip the leg portions of said spring clips so as to force said leg portions into pressure contact with a garment placed therebetween, said spring clips being slidably adjustable along said horizontal cross bar to accommodate the width of the article placed therebetween, and the exterior surface of said tube being substantially smooth so as to carry an article of apparel thereon without wrinkling said article.

2. A garment hanger comprising: a suspension member, an arched shoulder supporting member, said suspension member being integrally secured to the top center portion of said shoulder supporting member; a horizontal cross bar having its end portions integrally secured to the corresponding end portions of said shoulder supporting member; a pair of spring clips for supporting garments therefrom, each of said spring clips comprising a bight portion in sliding contact with said horizontal cross bar and a pair of legs depending from said bight portion, the end portions of said legs being turned outwardly and upwardly toward said bight portion for engaging the inside portions of a pants cuff placed thereon, the portions of said legs intermediate said bight portion and said end portions being serrated for gripping contact with a garment placed therebetween; and a tubular spring longitudinally split to engage said horizontal cross bar and the bight portions of said spring clips, said tubular spring being disposed in gripping contact with said spring clips and extending substantially the full length of said horizontal cross bar so as to provide an unobstructed outer surface for receiving garments placed thereon.

3. A garment hanger comprising: a suspension member` an arched shoulder supporting member, said suspension member being integrally secured to the top center portion of said shoulder supporting member; a horizontal cross bar having its end portions integrally secured to the corresponding end portions of said shoulder supporting member; a pair of spring clipsl for supporting garments therefrom, each of said spring clips comprising a bight portion in sliding contact with said horizontal cross bar and a pair of legs depending from said bight portion; and a tubular spring longitudinally split to encase said horizontal cross bar and the bight portions of said spring clips, said tubular spring engaging the depending legs of said spring clips so as to urge the free ends of said legs into gripping engagement with a garment placed therebetween and to urge the bight portion of said spring clips into gripping engagement with said horizontal cross bar, said tubular spring extending substantially the full length of said horizontal cross bar so as to provide an unobstructed outer surface for receiving garments placed thereon.

4. An attachment for a coat hanger having a horizontal cross bar comprising a tubular spring longitudinally split to provide opposed edges, said tubular spring being adapted to surround said cross bar substantially throughout the length of the latter, and a pair of spring clips adapted to be suspended from said cross bar for supporting garments therefrom, each of said spring clips comprising a bight portion adapted to slidably embrace said cross bar and being disposed within said tubular spring whereby the upper portion of the latter provides an unobstructed outer surface for carrying an article of apparel thereon without wrinkling said article, and a pair of legs depending from said bight portion, the opposed edges of said tubular spring being disposed in pressure applying engagement with said legs so as to urge the lower ends thereof into gripping engagement with a garment placed therebetween.

5. An attachment for a coat hanger having a horizontal cross bar comprising a tubular spring longitudinally split to provide opposed edges, said tubular spring being adapted to surround said cross bar substantially throughout the length of the latter, and a pair of spring clips extending downwardly from said tubular spring for supporting garf ments therefrom, each of said spring clips comprising an upper end portion disposed within said tubular spring so that the upper portion of the latter provides an unobstructed outer surface for carrying an article of apparel thereon without wrinkling said article and a pair of lower garment engaging legs, the opposed edges of said tubular spring being in pressure applying engagement with said upper end portions so as to bias said pairs of legs into gripping engagement with a garment placed therebetween.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,893,508 Rosenberg Jan. 10, 1933 2,283,530 Bohachef May 19,' 1942 2,344,604 De Gray Mar. 2l, 1944 2,378,578 Oskow a June 19, 1945 2,613,857 Pechtel Oct. 14, 1952 

